Socialising Your Dog: Some Tips for Owners

If you’re a little bit shy around other people then a pet could be the ultimate icebreaker.

If you’re becoming just a bit too focused on the world wide web, having a dog that is only too eager to remind you – every morning – that a walk would be a good idea is – well – a good idea. And what better time of year to reconnect with the outdoors (and our neighbours) than the start of the warm season?

“This is a great time to get out and about with your pet, and promote face-to-face connections,” said Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia.

“Most of us spend far too, much time devoted to our screens, sometimes this can be alongside our cats and dogs,” Crighton says. “But how in-tune are we to ourselves, our pet’s, and our friend’s emotions?

“This month make it your challenge to get out and about more with your dog, play more with your cat, and work on your ‘real-time’ interactions with your friends and family.”

How to socialise a dog

Sometimes it’s our dogs, rather than us, that have trouble socialising. Pet Insurance Australia offers the following tips for keeping your dog polite:

Know your dog: If your dog does not like other dogs, then keep your dog on leash and stay away from off-leash areas.

Remember doggy etiquette: Bum to noses is how they say hello. Nose to nose can be intimidating and threatening to a dog.

Enroll in a dog training classes: It’s a great way for socialising your dog with other dogs. You can even claim this training through pet insurance with some insurers. For example, at the time of writing our comparison tables for Comprehensive young dog insurance show that Australian Seniors Insurance Agency, Bupa, Bow Wow Meow, Guardian Insurance, Insurance Line, PetInsurance.com.au, Pet Insurance Australia, and Petsecure cover you for obedience training at registered training clubs with certain policies. (This is not a product recommendation.)

Stop a jumping dog! Nobody likes a jumping hound. When your dog jumps, turn your back on them. Keep doing this until they sit. Then praise and treat. Remember to never pat a jumping dog. Give a few sturdy “UH-UH no jumping!” commands, then turn your back, and treat the dog once they’re sitting. Be consistent.

Call in the experts: All dogs can be taught how to be social. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Many experts can come to your home to teach you how to train your dog to be a sociable animal – and train you in how to socialise your dog with other dogs.

And of course remember that the more practice you get at socialising your dog with other dogs, the easier it will be.

Source: Cooking For Dogs

“Think about organising a doggy day at the beach, and adding an extra 30 minutes to your daily walk, instead of your daily newsfeed,” Crighton says.

“Getting out and about into the real world, and putting tabs on your social media usage compared to your real world usage, could be a refreshing change and a big eye-opener. Plus your pets will love you for it!” Crighton says.

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you. Consider the product disclosure statement before making a purchase decision. Canstar provides an information service. It is not a credit provider, and in giving you information about credit products Canstar is not making any suggestion or recommendation to you about a particular credit product. Statistics referenced on this page have been verified by Canstar Research. Research provided by Canstar Research AFSL and Australian Credit Licence No. 437917.